Auld Lang Syne

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.

At least, not on January 1^st.

I make my resolutions now. Maybe it’s that I get excited about new school supplies. Maybe it’s that I have been mostly lazy for two months and so I need a change. Maybe it’s that I feel like I get a new start with a fresh slate of kids. Maybe it’s that I am just meant to live on an academic calendar.

Whatever the reason, when August comes, I feel the need to make life changes. And so, here I give you my New (school) Year’s resolutions:

1. I will be TOTY.
2. I will be better at parent contact. Wait. If there is anything that I have learned from the numerous educational classes and seminars I have sat through, it is that a goal needs to be measurable. Let’s try again. At least once a month, I will attempt to have contact (phone, in person, or most likely, email) with a parental unit for each student I teach. (Note that if I am successful at this, I am making great strides at achieving goal #1.)
3. I will run a half-marathon (or the equivalent of one) by August 1, 2009.
4. I will lose weight. (Yeah, I know that this one as it is currently stated isn’t exactly measurable, but I am NOT posting my weight on a blog.)

I think that there are others, but it is probably be best to keep the list short and manageable. Wish me luck.

Now if only the first day of school came with a balloon drop and champaign toast…

Scott's Birthday

Yesterday was Scott's birthday. It also happened to be his weekly pool league night. Scott mentioned that he would love it if I would bring cupcakes to pool league. I don't think that he was expecting this:

I used decorating sugar to do the colors and stripes.


The center circle is a Necco wafer with the number done in black frosting.
And the chalk was made from two blue starbursts.


The look on his face was incredible and made the effort worth it. I am already worried that I won't be able to top it next year.